


Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark

by AnimusStuff (DarthAnimus)



Category: BIRDMEN - 田辺イエロウ | Tanabe Yellow
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 09:49:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12651150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthAnimus/pseuds/AnimusStuff
Summary: Post Chapter 19Eishi's nighttime introspection gets derailed when his new ability dysfunctions.





	Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark

**Author's Note:**

> Birdmen Week 2017: Day 1: Stars

Eishi was fascinated with the sky, this much was true. However, it was the daytime sky that held his interest more than anything. In the daytime, he could see what resided between the clouds, what passed by, from local birds to distant airplanes.

In the nighttime, Eishi could never be sure what the lights piercing the cover of darkness were. Stationary lights could be stars or satellites, moving lights could be airplanes or helicopters or someone's drone.

Eishi had changed his mind when he'd learned to fly himself, however. Now the night sky was the very sky he flew among, and his mind started to gather possible scenarios he could prepare for.

They could get lost somewhere where the city lights didn't reach to light up landmarks. A Blackout could chase them all the way to the wilderness. The mysterious organization on their tailfeathers might force them to take off, fly as far away as they could and not come back. In all these scenarios it would be beneficial if the night sky was a familiar friend instead of a stranger.

It all made perfect sense except that the last scenario Eishi had thought up had also made the night sky more dangerous than any of the Bird Club would have ever thought. Eishi remembered, and he hated.

He’d been studying the stars for a while now, immersing himself in reference books and waiting for clear nights to climb up on his roof to look at the sky and apply what he’d learned. He made a game of it: “satellite or star?” and hoped that his anxious thoughts would stay at bay.

What if he learned something wrong and the others couldn’t rely on his knowledge when the time came? What if someone spotted him, a neighbour thinking he was some weirdo and telling his mother? Those were the usual worried thoughts, but now the latter one gained a new edge. What if _they_ spotted him?

Eishi didn’t want to think about what had happened in short enough time ago to be counted in hours. 41 hours ago Kamoda had been shot and they’d all been so scared, so confused and there had been no _reason_. “To keep them quiet”? What even was that nonsense when they never bothered anyone.

Well, Kamoda was a bother but that was something completely different from the matter at hand. Kamoda was happy, he was fun, he loved playing with cats and he thought more highly of Eishi than he deserved.

_Ei-chan, please._

And, to make matters worse, Eishi was still so angry. Kamoda was fine now, good as new, but Eishi could only remember the face, wet from tears and pained sweat, and the cries in his ears while Kamoda looked at him with such fear.

Eishi couldn’t remember ever seeing Kamoda that scared before. Not even when they were kids and Eishi had dug up bugs to see the faces Kamoda would make.

“He’s fine,” Eishi told himself firmly, willing himself to believe. “You’ll see him in the morning, when his sleepy, lazy self finally makes it to school.”

The morning was still hours away, a far too long time to wait but Eishi would manage. He had to, because it wasn't like he could text Kamoda and expect him to still be awake to see the message, let alone respond to it.

What would Eishi even mail him? "Hey, you still alive?" was what he wanted to say but what he really needed was: "You're still with me, right?"

For anyone living a regular life, the sound of giant wings slicing through the air would have been threatening. For Eishi, it was familiar and comforting, attached to gatherings with friends.

Eishi wondered if he'd been thinking too loudly again, if Takayama had dropped in to check on him. He looked up at his new company and felt something inside himself _stop_ , for the briefest of moments, before picking up again.

Jumping up, Eishi clapped his hands on thick, strong arms, feeling his wings appear and shroud him like a cloak. "Kamoda, what are you _doing_ here?"

Kamoda had the audacity to look surprised at Eishi's reaction, staring at him briefly before replying: "You called me."

"I did?" Eishi's grip slipped, not quite as tight but not entirely releasing. "I don't recall saying anything." It was more a matter of thinking, wasn't it, but even sending thoughts required giving them _form_ , didn't it?

"It was kinda like that look you give me right before you ask me to skip school with you," Kamoda answered. A smile came to his face, fond and glad. "I felt just like when you give me that look that says: 'Come right here.'"

Eishi released Kamoda to press a hand to his chin as he pondered. "Fascinating." Passing along intent instead of just words could be a useful skill if they could optimize it properly. However, it sounded like it required the ability to respond to nonverbal cues to begin with.

The thought of someday being that close to the rest of the Bird Club was equal amounts exciting and daunting. Something like that was one of the signs of deep, meaningful companionship.

"So you did it by accident." Kamoda's voice was teasing now, his smile replaced by a smirk. "Still trying to get a handle on that, huh?"

"Shut up!" Eishi snapped, albeit carefully, having no desire to alert anyone to their presence on a roof. "You shouldn't have left home, especially not by flying! It could still be dangerous!"

Instantly horror images filled Eishi's mind. Someone taking a shot at Kamoda _again_ while he'd been on his way to Eishi. Eishi never knowing, until the morning when there was no sign of Kamoda. Kamoda, dead or _taken away_.

They were both winged, shrouded in deep and black darkness that was only partially the night but mostly their own power. There wasn't a star in sight in this darkness.

"Ei-chan." Kamoda's hands were now up, cupping Eishi's chin to get him to focus on the here and now. "You're looking scary again."

The darkness in Eishi's thoughts parted just enough for him to spot the single bright star on this rooftop, the one light that he'd protect with all he had, even if all he had amounted to words, manipulations and a new power he still needed to analyze properly.

Eishi shrugged off his friend's grasp, and said: "I'll fly you home."

"Oh." Kamoda grinned, wide and friendly and _bright_. "You just wanted to fly together then?"

"I need to make sure you don't get in trouble," Eishi defended with an affronted sniff. "It surprises me you made it all the way here with no mishaps." He spread his wings, ready for takeoff. "Next time you feel me calling, just text."

"That's not as much fun." Kamoda pouted, but didn't argue further. In fact, he launched himself in the air first, with Eishi following right after.

It was a couple of blocks later that Eishi realized that he'd ruined his pyjamas by transforming so abruptly.


End file.
